On Sept. 27 France held partial Senate renewals, with 178 of 348 seats contested
and 1,686 candidates; it was the last nationwide vote before the 2027
presidential election. Early results published that evening saw National Rally
leader Bardella says the party expects to secure at least 10 senators in concert
with the Republicans and the broader right, reaching the threshold needed to
form a Senate parliamentary group for the first time; final seat allocations
remain pending. The Senate has long been dominated by the Republicans and
centre-right; senators are chosen indirectly by local elected officials, so any
shift will reflect parties' municipal-level strength.
